Missing the Gaze
by mercury999
Summary: Continuation of This Is Not Happening. Romance/Angst


Title: Missing the Gaze
    Author: mercury_999
    Rating: PG-13
    Spoilers: This Is Not Happening and a *tiny* reference to One
    Breath.
    Category: Romance/Angst; Postep
    Keywords: Mulder/Scully Romance
    Disclaimer: Characters belong to CC, Fox and 1013 . . .
    Distribution: Please ask me first
    Author's Note: There are no spoilers to any eps after 'This Is Not
    Happening.' More author's notes at the end.
    Summary: Scully struggles against the reality she's facing, with
    hope that things really aren't as they seem.
    Author's website: http://www.geocities.com/thetruthandlies/
    Feedback: mercury_999@hotmail.com
    
    XxXxX
    
    "THIS IS NOT HAPPENING," I yell frantically, dropping to my
    knees in the small room, with my head tilted upward.
    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-" My voice stops; nothing more
    can come out. My body shakes violently as I sob, and I stare
    with blind eyes at the floor. My cries ring through the chaos all
    around me. Slowly, I slip away from consciousness. I bring my
    hands to my face, then fall forward in defeat.
    
    "Scully?" a familiar voice asks. I open my eyes and see the
    starry sky. Skinner is running along the side of the stretcher that
    is carrying me from the house.
    
    "Stop," I cry. The paramedics keep moving me further and
    further away from the house. "I said stop," I repeat sternly,
    sitting up and swinging my legs off the stretcher. Before they
    can do anything, I push myself off it and onto the ground.
    
    "Scully, what the Hell are you trying to do?" Skinner asks,
    kneeling down beside me. My eyes cloud with tears, and I
    awkwardly get to my feet. I can't assemble the words I want to
    say, so my shoulders heave as I gasp for breath. Hands clasp my
    shoulders, and violently drag me back to the stretcher.
    
    "Let me go!" I yell, swinging my arms frantically as they lift me
    back up on it. "I need to . . . I need to . . . get to
    him . . . " I stare into the dark eyes of the first paramedic,
    then a wave of fear washes over me. Black oil swims over
    his eyes slightly. My hands begin to tremble and fear is
    evident in my voice. "Skinner!" I cry. "Don't let them take
    me!"
    
    "Scully, you've been through a lot. Please, just go and rest," he
    replies, putting his hand over mine.
    
    "No! You don't understand! What's happened to Mulder?" I
    beg, grabbing his hand tightly. John Doggett and Monica Reyes
    were approaching us from behind Skinner.
    
    "Scully . . . he's dead," Skinner whispers. "I'm sorry, but it's
    over." My heart drops to my stomach, and I throw my head back
    and squeeze my eyes shut in pain. He can't be. Mulder wouldn't
    let this happen.
    
    "AGENT DOGGETT! HELP ME!" I yell. Skinner pries his
    hand free from my grip. I kick out my legs in another vain
    attempt to escape. I slide off the stretcher and sprint for the
    woods, leaving Skinner, Doggett and Reyes standing by the
    ambulance. 
    
    I could hear the paramedics thrashing through the woods behind
    me. I pant wildly and run blindly deeper into the woods. Tears
    begin to fall down my cheeks and I can hear them gaining on me.
    Beams of light from flashlights scan the woods, and men yelling
    fills my ears. 
    
    My foot hits something, and I fall forward onto my stomach. I
    lift my face from the dirt, clutching my stomach with one hand.
    I'm sprawled on top of something, and I realize in horror that it's
    a body.
    
    I turn on my hands and knees and shed the blanket that covers its
    face. It's Mulder. A scream bubbles from deep inside my lungs.
    This is Mulder. A beam of light darts near me. New tears
    stream down my face, as I run my fingers down his cheeks. I
    caress his face tenderly, avoiding the bloody welts and scars. I
    bring my lips to his forehead, squeezing my eyes shut tightly. I
    press my lips against him for a long time, allowing my tears to
    cleanse his face. When I finally lift my face from his forehead, I
    look at his body one more time.
    
    His beautiful face isn't ruined by the pain inflicted upon him.
    His eyes are closed, and he looks . . . peaceful. I haven't seen
    him look like this in a long, long time. His hair sweeps across
    his forehead, and I bring my shaky hand to brush it away. This is
    Mulder. This is my child's father who has died while being
    tortured by Them. Anger rips through my body and I silently
    vow I'll do everything in my power to make them pay. 
    
    "Oh Mulder," I whisper, cupping his face with my hands.
    Another soft sob escapes my lips. I brush his eyelids with my
    fingertips, then trace a path to his lips. "I love you, so much
    . . . " I add. "And I can't accept the fact that . . . " my
    voice breaks. I can't finish what I am trying to say. Instead,
    I bring my lips to his for one last kiss. "Good bye, Mulder."
    
    It is almost as if I am expecting him to wake up and take me in
    his arms, then carry me off into the night. 'This isn't a dream,
    this is real,' I tell myself, still unconvinced. Oh Mulder, please
    wake up. Reluctantly, I lift my head from his and gaze at his
    body. 
    
    A beam of light flashes by us, and I see his left shoulder that is
    exposed. It takes me a few seconds to realize why there is
    something unfamiliar about it. It hits me suddenly, as one of the
    paramedics tackle me to the ground. There is no scar where I
    shot him six years ago. My heart pounds sharply inside my
    chest. This isn't Mulder. The flashlight rolls away from us, and I
    can hear the other paramedic approaching us in the darkness. 
    
    This isn't Mulder. 
    
    "No! Please, no," I beg. The man struggles to keep me pinned
    on the ground beneath him. He roughly pulls my arms so they
    stretch out above my head, then pushes my face into the dirt. He
    rips my blazer open and grabs my gun from its holster. I struggle
    to free my arms from his grasp, but it's impossible. As a reflex
    to my sudden movement, he hits me on the back of my head with
    my gun. A grunt emerges from my chest and I feel my mind
    drifting from consciousness again. I stop struggling physically
    and concentrate on staying awake. He shifts his weight on top of
    me, as the second paramedic reaches us.
    
    This isn't Mulder.
    
    "Sedate her," the first one barks. The second one nods and takes
    a large needle from his pocket. Spitting out the cap, he walks
    menacingly toward me. From the light of the flashlight I see a
    clear, green liquid inside the needle.
    
    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" I scream, praying that someone
    will come to save me. He reaches down and rips my blouse to
    expose my shoulder, then plunges the needle into my upper arm.
    Immediately, my arm goes numb, and it quickly spreads to the
    rest of my body. 'This isn't Mulder' passes through my mind
    moments before I slump to the cold ground. 
    
    XxXxX
    
    I open my eyes and blink slowly at the bright light above me. It's
    so bright it's causing a sharp pain to emerge in my mind. I can
    make out vague silhouettes that circle the table I'm laying on.
    Once my eyes adjust to the blinding light, I can see that I'm in a
    room, on a cold metal table. The room is empty now, and I
    begin to wonder if I imagined being in the presence of another
    being. My head is slightly elevated and my temples are attached
    to some pieces of metal, preventing me from moving. My
    cheeks are pulled taught, just like the wounds Teresa Hoese and
    Mulder had returned with. I can see the rest of my body now,
    and I realize I'm naked. My wrists and ankles are bound to the
    table with thick metal clasps inserted into them. I can feel the
    warm trail of blood that seeps down my hands and feet. My
    abdomen bulges slightly and I feel tears in the corner of my eyes.
    I silently wonder if it'll all be over now. 
    
    The loud whir of machinery booms in the thick silence. A blade
    descends from the ceiling and settles above my stomach. The
    mechanical blade starts spinning slowly with increasing speed. I
    can't peel my eyes from the hypnotic spinning as it slowly lowers
    to my abdomen. My scream pierces the air, although I can't feel
    any thing. As the blade penetrates my abdomen, I squeeze my
    eyes shut. I feel the warm spray of blood over my face and body.
    
    After an eternity, I finally open my eyes and realize I'm not alone
    in the room anymore. A dark silhouette is standing by my waist
    and is pulling my baby from my womb. Tears slide down my
    cheeks and protests scream inside me. My heart almost stops
    and everything suspends in air.
    
    XxXxX
    
    I wake up with a jump. I'm bathed in a sweat and my chest is
    heaving violently. Struggling to sit up, pain shoots through my
    right arm. I grab frantically at my blouse. I pull it out of the
    waistband of my pants and sigh with relief upon seeing the bulge
    of my abdomen. My left hand rubs it slowly, and I lay back
    down to catch my breath. 
    
    I'm alone in a dark room. The only light is that which shines
    around the door. My skin looks light grey in the scarce light of
    the room. My heart continues hammering in my chest and I try
    to figure out what is real and what is my imagination. My baby
    is here. I attempt to bring my fingers to my face to see if there is
    any tissue damage, but my right arm is numb and I cry out as I
    move it. 
    
    In curiosity I use my left hand to pull my blouse down over my
    right shoulder. I feel a puncture on it and try to examine it closer
    in the dark. The skin around it is crusty, and I guess it is dry
    blood. The hole itself is about a quarter of an inch around and
    every time I try to move my shoulder it sends waves of pain
    through my body. 
    
    It strikes me that I don't know where I am. The dark room could
    be anywhere, and I don't know if what I could remember was
    real or not. I know for sure that it wasn't Mulder lying in the
    woods. I also know that those paramedics were infected with the
    black oil virus and it was really important to them that I go with
    them. 'Where am I?' I wondered in confusion. 
    
    A blinding pain shoots through my temples. Tears form in my
    eyes and panic lurches in my chest. I clench my fists tightly,
    piercing my palms with my fingernails. A low groan escapes my
    throat, which turns into a wail of agony. I squeeze my eyes shut,
    and tears begin to fall down my cheeks. I throw my head back
    and let out a scream.
    
    XxXxX
    
    When I open my eyes, everything is a blur. I become aware that
    there is a person kneeling beside me. I blink slowly and try to
    lift my head.
    
    "Don't move," the man says calmly, placing a hand on my good
    shoulder. I obey him and let my head sink back to the floor. I
    blink my eyes a few more times before I notice it is Jeremiah
    who is with me. As I open my mouth to ask him where I am and
    what had happened, he squints at me, then answers my
    questions. "You're in the ship. The people who brought you
    here were following orders to have you eliminated. They're
    going to frame your death to make it look like a suicide while
    you're supposedly at the hospital . . . " he trailed off. I stared
    at him. "They're picking up the final pieces, and not coming
    back. They took you because you know too much. You know it
    wasn't Mulder in those woods and you're trying to figure out how
    to get him back."
    
    My jaw dropped. He had read my mind. "You know what I'm
    thinking," I said, it was a statement, not a question.
    
    "Yes, and I'm going to help you. I can read their minds, too.
    They don't know that you are pregnant. Otherwise, they would
    have had you killed by now. You are merely a threat to them,
    and that is why you're here."
    
    "Where's Mulder?" I blurt out.
    
    "Here," he said simply. "But he's in grave danger."
    
    A lump forms in my throat. "What's going to happen to him?"
    
    "He's one of the test subjects for a new set of experiments.
    Awful, disfiguring tests that one would hope to die during-" he
    started, but he must have watched my face because he stopped
    then. 
    
    "Tests for what?" I whispered. He shook his head sadly at me.
    "Why are you telling me this?"
    
    "I'm going to help you get him out of here," he replied, then
    quickly added, "it's what I do."
    
    "I don't understand," I pleaded.
    
    "I worked on this ship once, performing tests on the abductees.
    Then I realized that they aren't all like me; the others cannot read
    each others minds. This gave me an upper hand and I began to
    work against them. I sabotaged some experiments and saved
    lives. Then, I performed an experiment on myself. Through
    brain channeling, I realized that I had the ability to 'heal'
    people. I used this against them, and they realized I was
    helping abductees to get well and escape. That is why they
    'banished' me to Earth," Jeremiah explained. "I picked up
    the pieces they left behind. I cleaned up after them. I. . .
    did the dirty work. I tried to heal what they had classified as
    'useless' and disposed on Earth. I followed their path, picking
    up the abductees as they dropped them off. As a matter of
    fact, I healed you."
    
    My eyes widened. "You're the one who brought me to the
    hospital?" I asked with a shaky breath. Jeremiah nodded. 
    
    "I'm saving Mulder now, because he is the father of your baby.
    Together with your altered DNA this child will become Their
    most important asset should they learn about it. They will try to
    take it at all costs." I try to sit up again, but a pain shoots
    through my right arm when I move it and I fall back to the
    ground crying out.
    
    "The poison you were injected with is mild, and the reaction
    shouldn't last long," Jeremiah said. He has a healing ability, so
    why doesn't he get rid of the poison from my body? I ask myself
    silently. "I can't heal you, because I'm trying to gain enough
    energy to heal Mulder," he explained. Uh oh. My heart sank to
    my stomach. How bad could he be hurt? "Just take it easy, and
    you'll be fine," he said.
    
    I nodd, then make another attempt to sit up, leaning on my left
    arm this time. He helps me to my feet and I walk unsteadily to
    the door with him. "We've got to hurry, there is no time to lose,"
    Jeremiah says, opening the door.
    
    XxXxX
    
    We walk down an endless stretch of hallways. I note that this
    ship is more sophisticated than the one we saw in Antarctica.
    
    "This ship was designed and is run by clones and advanced grey
    aliens. The ship you saw was more of a storage place for
    incubating aliens. It's on these types of ships that the tests are
    performed," Jeremiah explains. 
    
    We continue walking until Jeremiah freezes. "They're coming
    toward us," he states and I peer down the long hallway. There is
    no one in sight. "Hurry, get in here." He opens a door to our left
    and ushers me inside. It is a room full of testing equipment, with
    a metal table at it's center. "They're coming to check on you."
    My heart skips a beat.
    
    "But they don't know I'm in here with you," I whisper. 
    
    "No, but they'll find you quickly," he points to the table. "Get up
    here and remove your clothing." I stare at him. "Do it. Now. If
    they find you like that it's the end for you, your baby and
    Mulder." I nod then pulled off my blouse, trying not to move my
    arm. 
    
    Jeremiah closes his eyes, then shifts his face to turn into
    someone I don't recognize. He puts on a white lab coat and
    pushs a tray covered with needles, scalpels and various medical
    equipment over to the table.
    
    "You've got to hurry," he says, walking behind me and
    unclasping my bra. I shrug it off, pull my slacks and underwear
    down to the floor and stepped out of them. Then, I take off my
    socks and shoes and Jeremiah grabbed all of my clothing to get it
    out of the way. "They're almost here."
    
    I get on to the cold metal table and lay down. Goose bumps
    cover my skin and my nipples are hard peaks on my rapidly
    rising and falling chest. He moves the tray so it is suspended
    over my mid-section, strategically hiding my abdomen.
    
    "You've got to remain calm. They're going to open this door and
    then they're going to talk to me. Take long, slow breaths and
    keep your eyes shut until I tell you it's okay to open them," he
    tells me, and I nod numbly, then close my eyes.
    
    I feel him push my jaw open and use some medical instruments
    in my mouth. I concentrate on my breathing, wondering if they
    can 'see' how fast my heart is hammering inside my chest. The
    door opens and two voices fill the room.
    
    "Ah, Doctor Reinfield who have you got there?" One voice asks. 
    
    "This is Dana Scully, Master. I found her in room 1129 and
    thought I should perform some basic tests on her," Jeremiah
    replies, putting the instruments back on the tray.
    
    "We just came to check on her, might we stay and watch these
    tests?" The second voice asks. I almost shake in fear.
    
    "Well, I've almost finished my work on her for the time being. I
    didn't know your long term plans for her, so I decided the
    physical exam should be enough for now," Jeremiah says,
    fidgeting with something on the tray.
    
    "We're not sure what we're going to do with her yet," the first
    says. I feel Jeremiah's hand run across my right shoulder toward
    the wound. He inserts a needle into it and I don't know how I
    manage to keep my cry of pain inside me. Tears form inside my
    eyes, and I try not to squeeze them shut. I can feel a warm liquid
    entering my shoulder and quickly spreading to the rest of my
    body. Idly I wondered if I will die from whatever he had just
    injected me with. "Carry on Doctor, but next time you go to
    perform tests on a subject, notify me first."
    
    I hear the door open and close, and I feel Jeremiah freeze. He
    slowly puts down the needle, then brings his fingers to my
    shoulder. The door opens again and the voices float in.
    
    "Oh and Doctor Reinfield?" the second voice asks.
    
    "Yes?" Jeremiah replies.
    
    "Take her back to her room and make sure the door is locked
    when you are finished."
    
    "Of course," Jeremiah says. The door closes again and Jeremiah
    is silent for a long time. "Okay, they're off this floor now. You
    can open your eyes." I do and blink the tears out of them. "I'm
    sorry I couldn't warn you that I was going to do that. They were
    doubting the fact that I was experimenting on you, so I had to do
    something. The liquid I injected you with should counteract the
    poison you were given." I nod and Jeremiah crosses the room to
    where he had hidden my clothes. I wipe the tears from my eyes
    and sit up on the table. There isn't a shock of pain when I move
    my shoulder anymore. 
    
    "They lied. They know what they're going to do with you.
    You're going to be another subject in the same experiments that
    Mulder is undergoing." Jeremiah hands me my clothes and I
    quickly dress myself. "We've got to get to Mulder right now.
    His time is running out." My heart dropps to my stomach and I
    feel a bit faint. Mulder is going to die if we don't get there on
    time. Jeremiah leads me into the hallway and we proceed at a
    jog down almost to the end. He punches in a code on the
    elevator and the door opens. He pushes another series of buttons
    and the elevator begins to descend. 
    
    "Are you sure you know where he is?" I whisper. Jeremiah
    nods. We stand in an awkward silence. I wonder nervously
    about Mulder, finally admitting to myself that I am terrified to
    find him. 
    
    "It'll be okay," Jeremiah whispers. I nod numbly, and the
    elevator doors open.
    
    We are in a different part of the ship. Instead of long, white
    corridors, the walls are all metal. The doors are more like
    portals and key codes have to be pushed to gain access. Wiring
    lines all the walls, and there is a single row of lights over head.
    
    Suddenly, a blinding pain overtakes my body. I drop down to my
    knees, then slide to the floor. My breath comes out in gasps, and
    I push my finger tips against my temples. Squeezing my eyes
    shut, I am nearly ready to give up. Dizziness overwhelms me,
    and I moan in pain. 
    
    "You've got to get up," Jeremiah cries, grabbing me by the
    shoulders and lifting me to my feet again. I wobble against him,
    as the threat of fainting seems like a credible possibility.
    "You've got to be strong. We have no time!" I nod, then walk
    forward with him.
    
    He pauses at each door and closes his eyes. "His thoughts are
    getting weaker now, I can't tell exactly which room he's in,"
    Jeremiah says. Finally, we reach the door where Jeremiah gives
    a brief nod. "He's in here."
    
    Punching in the code to open Mulder's chamber, we both hurry
    inside. The room is almost empty. Mulder is sitting in a
    chair-like structure with equipment suspended over his head.
    On the far left there is a control panel. 
    
    "Mulder!" I cry, stumbling to his side, brushing my fingers
    across his face. He looks awful, ten times worse than what I had
    seen in the woods. Only wearing boxers, his flesh is completely
    exposed. The skin around his eyes is dark with bruises, along
    with most of his body. His cheeks are being held taught by metal
    clips, stretching them in a linear pattern. His chest has a large
    gash down the front of it, and blood covers most of his chest.
    Trails of blood run down his sides, and legs and pool on the floor
    beneath him. Metal bolts go through his wrists and ankles to
    hold them in place. He isn't breathing, and I can't find a pulse.
    
    I bend over him, and start to sob. "Oh . . . Mulder," I whisper.
    Jeremiah is over at the control panel and in a moment the
    bindings that hold Mulder release him.
    
    Jeremiah walks over to me and clears his throat. 
    
    "He's dead," I whisper, tears fall down my cheeks.
    
    "Not yet," Jeremiah replies. "He's in a super-conscious state,
    which is hardly ever detectable in patients." He pauses for a
    moment, then adds, "He knows he's going to die soon. He's
    thinking of you." 
    
    More tears spring to my eyes, but I manage to shakily ask, "What
    can I do to help you?"
    
    He doesn't say anything, instead he puts his hands on Mulder's
    forehead and closes his eyes. After ten seconds he removes his
    hands, then says, "He's worse than I thought he was. We've got
    to get him to a different area of the ship, right now." I nod again,
    stroking Mulder's hand. Jeremiah spies a lab table on wheels
    against a wall and brings it over to Mulder. Together we transfer
    him from the chair to the table and rush out the door. 
    
    We run down the hall, Jeremiah is in the lead pulling the foot of
    the table. I push from behind, staring at Mulder's face. Mulder,
    please hold on. Help is coming. Please stay with me. We reach
    the same elevator we had come from and board it again.
    Jeremiah enters another code and the elevator immediately drops
    sharply.
    
    I suck air in, as the elevator descends several floors in a few
    seconds. We halt abruptly and the doors open. We are in an
    entirely new area of the ship. It is only one room, filled with
    equipment and in the center there is a large circle. Above the
    circle there is a clear, glass light which is glowing a pale yellow.
    Jeremiah jogs into the room and stops near the big circle.
    
    Without pausing, he begins to bark out instructions. "Get him
    off the stretcher and lay him on the floor beside that machine,"
    he points to a large metal structure. I nod, and manage to get
    him off the table. I half-carry, half-drag him to the machine.
    "I'm going to program the ship to open the portal ten seconds
    after we overload this machine. If you don't make it over to that
    circle on the floor in those two seconds, then you'll be stuck here
    forever. I can't make it any longer then ten seconds, because the
    others will have found you by then."
    
    "What about you?" I ask. He finishes with the main controls and
    the yellow light brightens slowly.
    
    "I'm going to be hooked up to the machine with Mulder," he
    replies. Confusion crosses my face. He approaches the machine
    and hooks two cables to Mulder's temples. The cables runs
    through the large machine, then Jeremiah attaches another set of
    cables to his own temples. I entwine my fingers with Mulder's.
    
    "Won't you be caught?" I ask. 
    
    "No," he replies, flicking the switch. A low whirring noise starts
    in the machine.
    
    "Will this work?" I almost yell over the machine.
    
    "I hope so," Jeremiah replies. "This machine is magnifying my
    healing ability, then passing it onto Mulder. It will overload near
    the end, and you *must* get Mulder up and over there in ten
    seconds." Buttons begin to flash and the noise settles back down
    to a low hum. With one last glance at me, Jeremiah places both
    his palms on Mulder's forehead and closes his eyes. I let go of
    Mulder's hand and watch in horrifying silence.
    
    As soon as Jeremiah touches Mulder, several lights light up. The
    needle in a dial jumps forward, and Jeremiah begins to tremble.
    My breath comes out in small pants, as I watch the scene unfold.
    Jeremiah's whole body starts to shake violently, and his head
    thrashes around. I clench my fists and bite my lower lip. 'This is
    not happening' I tell myself. The wounds on Mulder's flesh
    disappear.
    
    The needle pushes into the warning zone, and the lights blare
    continuously. Jeremiah's body shakes uncontrollably, but his
    palms remain glued to Mulder's forehead. I stand in silence.
    Suddenly, everything just stops and Jeremiah collapses beside
    Mulder. The lights all shut off and the hum vanishes. The
    machine stops completely. 
    
    Ten seconds. 
    
    Oh God.
    
    Mulder blinks his eyes. My jaw drops and I half-laugh and
    half-sob. Happiness wells up inside me. "Mulder!" I
    exclaim. 
    
    "Scully?" he slurs.
    
    Eight seconds. 
    
    Panic grips my chest. We have to get out of here, we can talk
    later. "We've got to go!" I yell, removing the cables from his
    temples roughly. "Come on!" I put my hands behind his chest
    and help him get to his feet. He sways violently and we both
    almost go crashing to the floor. "Come on Mulder! We've got to
    get out of here, RIGHT NOW!" I shout, tears of frustration
    coming to my eyes. I take a step toward the circle in the floor. It
    is only fifteen feet away from us. The light above it is glowing
    bright yellow now.
    
    Five seconds.
    
    Mulder stumbles, but we manage to take another step. He seems
    to be getting more coordinated, but I fear it is almost too late. I
    begin to take longer strides, pulling him behind me.
    
    Four seconds.
    
    We're almost there, only ten feet to go. Sweat glistens on both of
    our bodies. We're both out of breath.
    
    Three seconds.
    
    I wrap my arm around his waist and roughly haul him forward.
    We stumble, but manage to catch ourselves before we hit the
    ground. We're only five feet from the circle.
    
    Two seconds.
    
    The door of the room opens and aliens pour into the room. My
    heart in my throat, I realize we just might make it. Mulder is
    panting heavily beside me, and with each step he takes he grows
    weaker.
    
    One second.
    
    This is it. "JUMP!" I yell, still holding on to him. I throw my
    body into the air, and it seems like forever before I hit the floor
    sharply on my left side. The light is glowing white and the circle
    beneath us begins to open from the center.
    
    The aliens in the room run for the controls. Mulder lay beside
    me, reaching out to grasp my body. I watch the portal open with
    relief. Then, we both see it freeze at the same time. It's almost
    in our reach. Immediately, we both get to our hands and knees
    and crawl desperately for the opening in the floor. It begins to
    close.
    
    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" I scream. I'm crawling
    ahead of Mulder, and the opening is quickly diminishing in size.
    With his last ounce of strength, Mulder throws his body on top of
    mine and we roll the few feet to the opening. 
    
    The last thing I remember is looking up and seeing the bright
    light, then falling backward. Mulder's arms are still wrapped
    around me, and I can feel his face in the back of my neck. I
    bring my hands down to hold his arms around my waist.
    
    XxXxX
    
    I open my eyes to see that we are laying on the damp ground in
    the woods. There's a blanket of stars in the sky above us. I'm
    laying on my back, and Mulder's on his side next to me. One of
    his arms is draped across my waist. Immediately, I sit up and
    touch his face. He's shivering, and I realize I am too. 
    
    "Mulder?" I whisper, crawling around behind him and lifting his
    head into my lap. With one hand I cradle his head, and with the
    other I stroke his cheek. He opens his eyes. Relief rushes
    through my body, and my tears fall. I feel so happy when he is
    around me, and I am so happy he is back. It strikes me that I
    have only told him that I love him once. He begins to cry, then
    tries to reach up to hold me. His arms can't make it, he's so
    weak. I entwine my hand with his fingers, and place both of our
    hands on his chest. "Oh God Mulder," I cry, leaning down and
    kissing his forehead. "I love you." 
    
    "Scully-" Mulder gasps, but can't finish what he is trying to say.
    He stares straight at me, and squeezes my hand tightly. I want to
    tell him that I'm pregnant, but I realize now isn't the time. 
    
    "They're over here!" A familiar voice shouts from the woods
    near us. A flashlight focuses on us, and Skinner comes into
    sight. Seeing both of us, he runs over while taking off his trench
    coat. "Mulder?" he asks in confusion, covering his body with
    the jacket. Mulder turns his head so he is staring at the black
    velvet sky. "Are you guys okay?"
    
    Voices throughout the woods call to each other. I nod and
    smiles at Skinner. In a few moments, the search crew begins
    seeping into the clearing where I sit and hold Mulder. He is
    intently staring at the sky over Skinner's shoulder, so I follow his
    gaze. Thousands of stars scatter across the sky, and I feel his
    grip tighten on my hand once again. It's all over. Everything.
    The tests. The pain. It's over. I follow Mulder's gaze to a
    specific cluster of stars. A tiny white light moves through the
    sky, hovers for a moment, then disappears. 
    
    XxXxX
    
    FINIS
    
    mercury_999@hotmail.com
    
    More Author's Notes: Thanks for editing this monster, Frohike.
    ;-) ::whew:: boy am I glad this is done! Thanks for the title Ally! 
    
    XxXxX


End file.
